Magical Thinking

True Stories

From the number-one bestselling author of Running with Scissors and Dry comes Augusten Burroughs's most eagerly anticipated collection yet: true stories that give voice to the thoughts that we all have but dare not mention.It begins with a Tang Instant-Breakfast Drink television commercial:"Yes, you, Augusten. You were great. We want you." I can now trace my manic adult tendencies to this moment. It was the first time I felt deeply thrilled about something just a fraction of an instant after being completely crushed. I believe those three words "We want you" were enough to cause my brain to rewire itself, and from then on, I would require more than other people� . - from Magical Thinking 's "Commercial Break"A contest of wills with a deranged cleaning lady. The execution of a rodent carried out with military precision and utter horror. Telemarketing revenge. A different kind of "roof work." Dating an undertaker who shows up in a minivan. This is the fabric of Augusten Burroughs's life: a collection of true stories that are universal in their appeal yet unabashedly intimate, stories that shine a flashlight into both dark and hilarious places. With Magical Thinking , Augusten Burroughs goes where other memoirists fear to tread.

Comment

Very twisted book, made full of truth and disturbing thoughts. A book which was fun to read and very disturbing. I loved the book, had plenty of funny parts :)

madison382
Feb 18, 2015

Now I remember why I liked Running Scissors, this guy is a really good writer. He writes from the heart about his experiences, sometimes way too much information, but because he is such a honest writer, he cannot hold back.

As chronicled in "Running With Scissors", this man had a very strange upbringing and this has resulted in him being a very strange adult. The stories in this book revolve around a time in his life when he is actually getting over some of his history and addictions and living life again, about which he has a unique - to say the least - perspective, and the stories often swerve into way-not-PC, even kind of psychotic, places. He is very matter-of-fact about his strangeness, though. This book is like no other, which is an asset; I just wish I hadn't read the chapter about torturing a mouse to death.

A funny book, in a sort of sad and twisted way at times. The author leaves nothing to the imagination, he's as honest and descriptive about what's going on in his head that we would ever dream of disclosing to others.

Very reminiscent of David Sedaris'' ME TALK PRETTY SOME DAY, this collection of 27 autobiographical essays is an enjoyable and entertaining read. Several are laugh-out-loud funny; all are well-written and engaging, although the author seems at times so plagued by neuroses that the reader wonders occasionally how much the author has embellished his stories above and beyond the strictly autobiographical. Like Sedaris, Burroughs is unapologetically gay. Unlike Sedaris, Burroughs writes less of dysfunctional family members, instead creating candid and graphic portraits of himself and his experiences as a modern gay man, an author, a recovering alcoholic, an advertising copywriter, an individual looking for someone with whom to have a meaningful relationship. The book is decidedly not for those who are offended by homosexuality.